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[george_dotty24]

I'm converting my 60 TR3 from steel wheels to wires.  It appears that all I need are the splined hubs, the thin bolts to attach them to the existing lugs and to cut down the lug bolts.  Does this sound correct?

Also, will Spitfire splined hubs work on a TR3

Thanks

[charley fitch]

Yes you will need the splined hubs and thin NUTS, which are beveled on both sides and will need to cut down or replace the lug bolts with the shorter version.  Of course you will also need the winged nut for the outside of the splined hub and a soft faced small sledge hammer.  I am not familiar with the possible difference in the spitfire hubs and the bolt pattern they have.

Please be aware-- splined hubs wear out rather easily and a set of old splined hubs may only be good for two things 1) to send in to get rebuilt, or 2) a paper weight.  I made the mistake of using a set of hubs and wheels from an older TR4A on my TR3.  After a year or so I finally figured out that the clunk in the rear end when I put the car in reverse was the slippage between the wire wheels the splined hubs.  I wound up replacing the hubs and wire wheels.  The only things safely useful were the winged nuts and the thin nuts to attach the splined hub.

Charley Fitch 

[TR3driver]

The Spitfire parts won't fit, they use a different bolt circle.

I agree with Charley, inspect any used components VERY carefully.  My previous TR3A had worn out hubs and splines when I got it; which I didn't discover until one day I tried to take off up a hill, and instead of the car moving, one of the rear hubs just went ziZZZZZ!  Fortunately the others were still holding, or I might have been rolling backwards down the hill with no brakes...

For example, this spline is badly worn and near the end of it's life:

[george_dotty24]

I've had buyers remorse since I bought these wheels, they are over 60 year old after all.  The hubs will be new so no problems there, I'll just have to look over the splines in the wheels very closely.

The Zizzzzz sound really put it in perspective. I even got chills thinking about rolling backwards uncontrollably.

The wheels arrive today so I'll find out shortly what condition they are in.  I've read a lot about truing the wheels, can anyone tell me how often the need to be checked?

GH

[charley fitch]

I should have added that I also replaced the wire wheels.  For as the picture that Randall showed, the splines were not a good sharp VVV but rather looked like they were in a stiff wind.  The inside of the wire wheels was no better.  The other part of the story is that when I went into the wire wheel shop I told them that I wanted Dayton wheels ( not Dunlop) and that I wanted them to check for truing each brand new wheel out of the box before mounting my wheels on them.  They were on wheel number six to get four true wheels on my car. And again this is out of the box new.

Now as to how often you should have them trued, good question.  I would say that each year you should jack up the car and spin each wheel and see for yourself if they are close to true.  Beyond that I imagine it is an expensive endeavour.

Charley Fitch 

[59triumphtr3a]

Moss has wheel spacers, part number 832-560. They mention that the spacers allow for easier conversion to wire wheels. Has anybody used these spacers? Sounds as if putting these on over the hub adapters will take up the extra stud length that would foul on the wire wheels; therefore no need to cut down the steel wheel studs to run wires. I am interested in any thoughts or experiences.

[TR3driver]

I have not tried the spacers myself (yet) but there are several people in our local club that do.  You should check if the spacers from Moss fit snugly over the studs or have slots to accommodate different bolt circles.  The slotted spacers can sometimes slip off-center enough to cause vibration.  (There is a fellow in our club that makes them specifically to fit Triumphs.)  But otherwise, the concept seems sound, at least for casual use.